Folding box or crate



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. 0. & W. L. THOMPSON.

FOLDING BOX 0R CRATE.

Patented May 24, 1887.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. C. 86 W. L. THOMPSON. FOLDING B'OX 0R CRATE. No. 363,700. PatentedMay 24, 1887.

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U ITED STATES PATENT O FICE.

JESSE O. THOMPSON AND WILLIAM L. THOMPSON, OF ORMANVILLE, IOWA.

FOLDlNG BOX on CRATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 363,700, dated May 24,1887.

Application filed February 11, 1887. Serial No. 227,278. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

.Be it known that we, Jnssn O. THOMPSON and WILLIAM L. THOMPSON, ofOrmanville, in the county of Wapello and State of Iowa, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Folding Boxes or Crates; and wedo hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which. it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to an improvement in folding boxes or crates inwhich merchandise is packed for market or shipment; and the ob- ,j ectis to provide a box for packing eggs, vegetables, fruits or merchandise,in which all the parts composing the same are securely held together.

A further obj ect is to provide a packing box or crate that may bereturned to the packer or shipper at a nominal expense.

A further object is to provide a box or crate that'can be kept in stockin compact form and can be shipped from a distance at a small expensefor freight.

A further objectis to provide means whereby the box or crate may bedivided into compartments when set up for use.

With these ends in view our invention consists in certain features ofconstruction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter de- 3scribed, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a view in perspective showingour folding box or crate ready for shipment with the box set up. Fig. 2is a View, partly in section, show- .ing the interior construction.

Fig. 3 is a View of our box or crate folded for return shipment orstoring, the lid being detached. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the crateknocked down with the lid in position.

A represents the bottom board of our crate or box cut a sufficientlength and provided with sideand end strips, ac and 00, secured theretoin any suitable manner. The side strips, a a, are preferably of wood,although .metal could bensed, cut the same length as ing sides B higherthan the side strips, (ii, to allow the side to fold over the side B.These folding sides are made, preferably, of wood, each beingrectangular in shape and secured to the side strips, a a, by hinges I).The upwardly-extended leaves b of the hinges b are made of suffieientlength to extend to the top edges of the hinged sides B B, to which theyare secured, These hinged portions B Bhave shallow grooves cut in theirsurface to receive the hinge-leaves I), which also serve as battens toprevent the sides B B from warping. The side strip, a, to which thefolded side B is hinged, is of such relative height above the interiorbottom surface as to permit the side B to fold inwardly and have aclearance distance above the bottom equal to its own thickness. Theopposite leaf or hinged side, B, is so located in regard to its foldingmate B that itwill bear closely upon the latterwhen given a recliningpOSlliOll to a right angle to the vertical side a, upon which it ishinged.

The folding end wings, O O, are secured by the hinges 7a to the endstrips, 0 c, the latter strips being secured to the ends of the bottom Aand to the rigidly-attached side strips, ca. The end pieces, 0 c, are ofsuch a height that the folding wings O G will lie flat upon the top faceof the folding side 13 when the two sides B B are folded.

The hinges 70 which connect the end wings, v

C O to the end strips, 0 c, are composed of spring metal strips k k",connected by a lapjoint at s. The upper portions, k ,.are secured,preferably, by screws to the edges of the end wings, G O, the lowerparts, 70', being made to lap over the strips 70 a proper distance toform a hinge-joint. The width of the hinge-strips If k" is sufficient topermit a portion of the same to project beyond the inner faces of theend wings, G O, and the pivots s are inserted at a point near the inneredges of the leaves k k to permit these wings (l O to fold inwardly whenrequired, and be restrained from outward inclination beyond aperpendicular position by the joint action of the hinge-joints and theabutment of the adjacent edges of the parts 0 c O O. The hinges lapbeyond the sides 13 and restrain them from falling outward.

The folding sides B B are provided with,

latches E, pivoted to the top inner surface of the leaves of the hingesthat secure these wings in rigid side strips, a at. These latches E areof asuitable length to engage with their shoulders notches E, the bodyof the screws 11 extending through suitable slots, d, the latter beingformed in the top edges of the end wings, O O, to permit thisengagement. It is evident that when the side and end wings of the crateare erected or made to assume a perpendicular position, and the latchesE are folded into their respective notches to hold the ends 0 O rigidlyupright, the box or crate thus constructed will be substantial andunyielding, fully capable of withstanding the rough usage incident tofreight transportation.

The outer faces of the end wings, G C, are provided, respectively, withan undercut recess, h, and a hole or recess, h. The undercut recess h isprovided with a face-plate, 70, secured above the recess, adapted togive a substantial bearing-surface to the spring-catch F, secured in thecover or lid G, and also to prevent the wood from chipping.

The cover G consists, preferably, of a piece of wood cut the requiredlength, and provided on each end with downwardly-projecting strips r,extending the entire width of the cover and secured thereto by screws ornails. A springcatch, F, the ends of which are secured to the cover G,is bent several times around a pin or axle, Z, in the recess 1 of one ofthe inner faces of the downwardly-projecting strips r, and thenceupwardly terminating inan inclined head, R, which latter is providedwith a shoulder, 0", adapted to engage'the undercut recess 7b 'in theouter face of one of the end wings and assist in holding the coversecurely on the box. The cover G is further provided, at a pointopposite the spring-catch F, with a pin'or lug, n, projecting inwardly ashort distance and adapted to enter the hole It.

When it is desired to adjust the cover or lid, the pin a is firstinserted in the side hole, It, and pushed inwardly. The cover then beingpushed down and the spring-catch engaging the shoulder of the undercutrecess h, the

cover is secured. The end strips of the box are similarly provided withan undercut recess, m, and with a hole, m, adapted to engage thespring-catchand the lug or pin when the cover is secured to the bottom,ready for storing or shipment.

L represents the dividing-partition. This partition consists,preferably, of two sections, one of which is provided with dowel-pins o,

. placed or secured at suitable intervals on its inner end and adaptedto enter corresponding recesses in the inner end of the other section,and when inserted therein making a firm joint. Thewhole is then insertedin shallow vertical slots K, formed in the opposite sides or wings andextending upwardly the entire height of these sides. In this manner thecrate may be divided into any desired num ber of spaces When it isdesired to prepare the box or crate for the reception of goods, theendwings are raised until they come in the plane of the end strips. Thehinged sides are then raised until they are in a plane with the sidestrips, when the hooks E are inserted in the slots d over the screw d,and the whole is thereby secured against folding. The dividing-partitionLis then inserted, if desired,and the box complete, with the exceptionof the cover, which latter can be secured at a moment s notice, forshipment or storing. When, on the other hand, it is desired to fold thebox either for packing or shipment, the hooksE are withdrawn, as is alsothe dividingpartition L, and the latter is separated and placed in thebottom of the box. The side wing, B, which is secured to the lower sidestrip a is then pushed downwardly until it bears upon the sectionaldividing-partition L, which is deposited on the bottom of the crate, asabove stated, when the side which is secured to the higher strip a isfolded down over the other hinged wing, a, and the end wings are made torecline upon these folded parts. The cover G is secured in place byinserting the dowel n in the socket made for it in the end a, and thespring-latch is made to engage the recess made for it on the surface ofthe opposite end 0, thus forming a complete, compact, and portablepackage, that holds in firm contact the component parts of he crate inas small a space as possible in consideration of its length and width.

Having fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a folding box or crate, the combination, with the hinged foldingside hinges and latches pivoted to the leaves of the hinges, of hingedend wings slotted to receive the pivoted latches, and also provided withscrew-shanks that are located transversely in these slots to engage thehooks or latches, substantially as set forth.

2. In a folding box or crate, the eombination, with a bottom, rigidlysecured side and end strips, and hinged inwardly-folding side and endwings, of four latches that engage cross-bolts located in slots inthetop edges .of the end wings, a cover that has depending ends having adowel at one end adapted to enter a socket in one end wing of the crate,and a spring-latch attachment at the opposite end of the cover, which isadapted to engage a groove in the opposite end wings of this crate,substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with a bottom, side and end strips of variedheights, one of these end strips being provided with a socket and theother strip having an undercut notch, and the folding sides and-ends,one of the latter having a socket and the other an undercut notch, of adetachable cover having depending end cleats, one of these cleats beingprovided with an inwardly-projecting pin adapted to enter aspecification in the presence of twe subscribsocket in the end wing orend strip of the box I ing witnesses.

or crate, and the other end cleet being provided on its inner face witha spring-catch, the

5 lower end of which terminates in a. shoulder and anoutwardly-inclining end, substantially as described, and for the purposeset forth.

In testimony whereof we have signed this f JESSE O. THOMPSON.

WILLIAM L. THOMPSON.

Witnesses:

L. TORRENCE, W. T. WILSON.

